The candidate
Mawuli Emmanuel Tsikata
Candidate for National President, National Union of Ghana Students, 2026 / 2027.
Mawuli Emmanuel Tsikata served as SRC President of Spiritan University College, where student welfare, access to financing and campus governance have been the core of his work.
He currently reads for an MSc in International Relations. His journey runs from Anlo Senior High School and St. Mary's Boys' SHS through to postgraduate study, built on consistent student representation rather than a single campaign season.
He chaired the NUGS International Relations Committee from 2024 to 2025 and served on its Vetting Committee during the same period. Before that, he was Deputy Chairperson of the NUGS Judicial Committee, helping resolve disputes within the union.
His service also includes chairing USAG's Welfare Committee and International Student Committee. As a NUGS Central Committee member, he helped initiate the No Guarantor Scheme so students could access loans without a guarantor. From April 2023 to April 2026, he served as Deputy Chief of Staff of the International Youth Network for UN Security Council Resolution 2250 in Ghana, supporting its Youth, Peace and Security work.
Leadership
Leadership with Purpose
Loyalty
Loyalty to Students
Service
Service with Impact
Competence
Competence for Transformation
The emblem
A symbol of vision, service and transformational student governance
This emblem represents a bold vision for student leadership, rooted in Leadership, Loyalty, Service and Competence as the guiding pillars for transforming the National Union of Ghana Students.
- The Dzesinu
- At the centre stands the Ewe Dzesinu, a traditional symbol associated with leadership, authority, justice and responsibility. Its place at the heart of the design signifies that leadership is not merely about occupying office, but about carrying the hopes, voices and aspirations of students with honour and accountability. It speaks of a presidency that is intentional, principled, and prepared to serve. True justice begins with the character of leadership itself.
- The ascending base
- The upward structure beneath the symbol represents growth, progress and elevation. It traces the journey of Ghanaian students from ambition to achievement, from challenges to opportunities, and from representation to meaningful impact. It expresses a commitment to building student capacity and positioning NUGS as a respected national voice.
- The circle
- The circular structure symbolises unity and national inclusion, and the belief that NUGS belongs to every student, across universities, technical universities, colleges of education, colleges of health and private institutions, where no student voice is too small to matter.
- The laurel branch
- A mark of achievement and excellence, pointing to leadership that seeks not only to represent students, but to create lasting outcomes.
- The single star
- At the base, the star symbolises direction, hope and national significance, and the hope to make NUGS a stronger institution and a beacon of student empowerment in Ghana.
Red
Courage, sacrifice, determination and active student advocacy.
White
Integrity, transparency, peace and responsible governance.
“Loyalty is the consequence of leadership, and leadership is a touchstone of competence.”
International Relations Committee
The first-ever NUGS West Africa Tour
As Chairperson of the NUGS International Relations Committee, Mawuli organised and led the first West Africa Tour in the Union's history, taking Ghanaian student diplomacy beyond Ghana's borders to Lomé and Ouidah: meeting Ghanaian students studying French on exchange at the University of Lomé, engaging the Embassy of Ghana in Togo, and building the regional student relationships that Pillar 6 of The Future Agenda is designed to institutionalise.
Leadership timeline
A record built over years, not weeks
Foundation
Anlo Senior High School & St. Mary's Boys' SHS
Second-cycle education in the Volta Region, where the realities addressed in Pillars 1 and 2 of this manifesto were first observed first-hand.
May 2020 to August 2021
SRC President, Spiritan University College
Served as the principal link between students and the college administration, and represented the student body at the national level.
June 2020 to May 2021
Chairperson, USAG Welfare Committee
Coordinated student welfare initiatives within the University Student Association of Ghana, including food support programmes and help with accommodation.
September 2021 to October 2022
Chairperson, USAG International Student Committee
Led the committee representing the interests of international students within the University Student Association of Ghana.
2022
Named among Ghana's 35 Most Influential Student Leaders
Recognised at No. 18 by the Dreams of Africa Youth for Change Organisation in the maiden edition of its annual list, alongside alongside the national leadership of NUGS, USAG, PUSAG and TTAG for his service as SRC President of Spiritan University College.
April 2020 to June 2021
Central Committee Member, NUGS
Helped initiate the No Guarantor Scheme, enabling students to access loans without needing a guarantor.
April 2023 to April 2026
Deputy Chief of Staff, International Youth Network for UN Security Council Resolution 2250
Supported the coordination of the network's activities in Ghana, advancing the UN's Youth, Peace and Security agenda.
October 2023 to September 2024
Deputy Chairperson, NUGS Judicial Committee
Served on the union's appellate body, helping adjudicate disputes alongside judicial board members and bloc chairpersons.
2024 to 2025
Vetting Committee Member, NUGS
Screened and evaluated candidates seeking elected positions within the union, helping ensure a fair and transparent process.
2024 to 2025
Chairperson, NUGS International Relations Committee
Directed NUGS's relations with student bodies abroad, including AASU, IUS and WASU, as well as organisations with country offices in Ghana.
First in NUGS history
The NUGS West Africa Tour in Lomé and Ouidah
Organised and led the Union's first West Africa Tour as International Relations Committee Chair: exchange students at the University of Lomé, the Embassy of Ghana in Togo, and student delegations at Ouidah, turning regional friendship into a standing partnership base.
2026
Shanghai Maritime University delegation, Tema Shipyard
Engaged a visiting delegation directly on student exchange, joint research and academic linkages for Ghanaian maritime and engineering students.
2026
Keynote, Regional Maritime University SRC Week
Delivered 'Rebranding Leadership Through Discipline and Vision', then stayed to listen to and answer students directly.
Postgraduate
MSc, International Relations
Formal grounding in diplomacy, negotiation and policy analysis, applied directly to NUGS's advocacy posture at home and abroad.